2004 Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG

Being sold on behalf of the estate of the late David William Wright, this 2004-model Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG was imported from Japan in around 2020.

Now registered as ‘LW54 OOC’ 2021, David clearly knew his stuff, recognising that cars from that country are invariably better curated than cars from anywhere else, something Japan’s salt-free winter roads contributes to in no small way.

His brother, who’s been looking after it on behalf of the executors, tells us that David covered around 7,600 miles since buying it on the 22nd of February 2022.

Thought to be one of just three finished in this colour and specification and the last of his small collection of Mercedes-Benz motorcars to be sold, it was David’s “pride and joy”.

As you’d expect of a car with a clear UK HPI report and just two registered keepers since it arrived here from Japan, it presents well with tight and consistent shutlines – and it’s worth reminding ourselves that no one did panel alignment better than Mercedes at the time.

The Diamond Black Metallic paintwork (paint code 768U) is excellent with a very good shine and no blemishes such as drips, runs, or overspray; of course, we can’t be certain that it is still the original paint but then there is nothing that suggests it isn’t, either.

It also sits with a good stance and equal gaps between the top of the tyres and the wheelarches. The AMG package, which comprises a front spoiler and side skirts, lifts what might otherwise be a somewhat staid salon, and these too are in good order with only a few light scratches to the lower edge of the front valence.

The rear lamp lenses are bright and colourful, and while the headlamps are slightly opaque, restoring them would be straightforward. None of the lights have any chips, cracks, or other damage.

The 18-inch double-spoke alloy wheels remain bright and well finished. The offside front has a chrome trim, and the nearside front has a few light marks to its rim, but the rest are free of scuffs and scrapes; it’s clear David took a great deal of care when parking his beloved Mercedes.

The offside front Michelin Pilot Sport 4 was fitted in 2021, and the remaining three were fitted in March 2025. We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

Other nice features include genuine Mercedes-Benz door-top wind and rain deflectors, blue heat-insulating glass, and automatic dimming mirrors inside and out.

All-in-all, it looks exactly as we’d expect for a low mileage car that spent the first 15 years of its life being pampered in Japan.

Naturally, it isn’t perfect although most of the minor issues such as the touched-up paint on the nearside rear wing and both rear doors, the water marks, and the myriad lights scratches would be improved by a professional machine polish.

(It’s also worth factoring in that a metallic black like this highlights flaws more ruthlessly than any other colour.)

Of course, the scuff to the front bumper, the scratch on the nearside front door, the dent on the offside rear door, and the chips on the driver’s door would remain but this is a 22-year-old car, and it still presents very well indeed.

The tilt ‘n’ slide sunroof also sits a bit low, but it slides fore and aft smoothly enough, and the headlining is clean enough to suggest that it doesn’t leak.

The interior is a credit to Mercedes-Benz engineering – and David’s curation because it looks like a car a quarter of its age with only the very gentlest of creases to the outer edge of the driver’s seat and one light scratch to the centre of the seat cushion; there is no actual damage such as colour loss, split seams, or cracking to any of the seats.

The black Nappa leather is in a very good condition throughout, remaining supple and still showing bright contrasting stitching.

The front seats successfully balance the competing demands of restraining their occupants in corners while also being comfortable enough to cross continents in one fell swoop. They’re electrically adjustable too, of course, and heated.

The birds-eye maple veneer is in an excellent condition too, with no chips, cracks, or peeling lacquer. Other signs of fastidious curation include taut elasticated pockets, an unworn heel protector in the driver’s footwell, still-bright switches and controls, and a clean and tight headlining.

Flaws therefore are few: The rear armrest has a few wrinkles on the offside lower edge, the heel protector on the driver’s overmat is lifting in one corner, the front centre armrest doesn’t open, the driver’s seat adjustment switch panel is lightly scratched, and the gearknob has lost a bit of its colour.

That’s the extent of the wear though, which is remarkable for a car that’s well into its second decade.

The boot contains a space-saver spare wheel and the tool kit and compressor. Lifting that little lot out uncovers a solid, rust-free boot floor. The boot lid also still contains the hazard warning triangle.

As for flaws and blemishes, if you’re really looking for a job the plastic bumpstops are cracked and the fasteners holding them are rusty but we’re really scraping the barrel there.

The AMG’s last service was carried out by the Mercedes Workshop on the 5th of June 2026 and 48,250 miles. The same firm also replaced the rear main oil seal in May 2026, and fitted a new nearside mirror frame a month before that.

Autocare Weymouth replaced a crankshaft sensor in March 2025 too, while ASK Performance treated it to a full service in March 2021 and 40,750 miles, followed by a gearbox service using M-B parts a month and a hundred miles later.

As you can see in the video, the handbuilt engine kicks into life with a muted whirr and immediately settles into a steady idle. It revs with exactly the enthusiasm you’d expect of an AMG engine and makes all the right noises too.

There is no blue or black smoke from the quad exhaust either, just the roar of a finely tuned V8 straining at the leash.

The engine bay is very clean; concours competitors might find something to do but we can’t see anyone else finding anything to fault.

However, the star of the show is, as always with cars from Japan, the underside.

Clean and free of rust and corrosion, it’s an absolute joy to behold and needs nothing other than, perhaps, a replacement plastic jacking point cover to replace the one that’s cracked.

But that’s surely the very definition of a #firstworldproblem

The AMG’s MoT certificate is valid until April 2027.

It had advisories for a wiper blade and an oil leak, both of which have been rectified along with 16 new sparkplugs. In all, more than £750 was invested in putting right advisories most people would have ignored.

David’s brother has also been starting the car regularly and putting a heat cycle through it to keep it in tip-top condition.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for being an imported car, and it comes with two keyfobs.

Unusually, the history file includes some paperwork from its time in Japan, which is unusual as they’re sticklers for GDPR.

It also comes with the all-important Export Certificate that shows the car’s mileage when it left Japan, plus a letter from HM Revenue & Customs confirming that all the relevant VAT and duty has been paid.

There’s a V5C Registration Certificate in David’s name too, plus every single MoT certificate since it’s been here in the UK. The car has also retained the Mercedes-Benz wallet and book pack.

While everyone knows and loves the SL55 AMG, far fewer people have even heard of the C55 version.

Which is a shame because it offers everything its more famous sibling does except fresh air – and it swaps that for seating for five and a more discrete look.

As for their value, our guide price for the C55 AMG is between £10,000 and £15,000. But, as it is being sold with no reserve, it’ll be going to a new home after the very first bid has been placed.

And this is even more important in this case because the proceeds of the auction are going to be divided equally between the RNLI and the Weldmar Hospice in Dorset, so if you’re sitting on the fence as to whether to pop another bid on, please remember that if you win you won’t only have got your hands on a cracking example of a widely lauded car, you’ll have made a significant donation to worthy charities.

Doesn’t get much better than that, does it?

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